Duck's Place bar temporarily closing down after murder

A Springfield bar will temporarily shut down, after a string of recent incidents including a murder behind the bar early Thursday morning.

The owner of Duck's Place stood before the license commission Thursday night agreeing to temporarily close his business down, and surrender his license.

"Duck's Place has had some prior incidents that we're going to be hearing tonight," said License Commissioner, Orlando Ramos.

Those incidents include a bar employee allegedly pulling a gun on a patron in a dispute over a car in April.

But the latest in the string of violence happened just after midnight Thursday at the bar's back patio.

"The best we have at this time is that it was just an argument that took place," said Officer Charlie Youmans with the Springfield Police Department.

Police say a 24-year-old Holyoke man was shot and killed in an altercation. They have not released his identity, and continue to search for suspects.

The owners of Duck's Place declined to comment on camera, but told CBS 3 their business, that they've only owned since January, is struggling because of the bar's reputation.

It has gone through multiple owners and names over the years, but has always seemed to have a past checkered with violence, including shootings and a murder that took place back in May 2010, in which a man was sitting in his car behind the bar, and was shot and killed.

The owner agreed to surrender his license, and return for a final hearing Aug. 1.

"We did take the necessary steps...to make sure Duck's Place surrendered their license," Ramos said.